Falu Seiuli is a public health nurse working at Safotu District Hospital in Samoa. Falu is part of a team helping to roll out PEN Fa’a Samoa, a community-based program that promotes screening and treatment for conditions like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.
“I go to villages to do outreach programs,” says Falu. “It is a good opportunity to work in communities and schools. It’s challenging, but doing the work has brought me more confidence, especially when I’m out in villages, you really have to engage with them.”
Sadly, most families in Samoa will be affected by a non-communicable disease (NCD) at some point. To reduce this burden, Samoa’s Ministry of Health is working closely with villages to identify community members who are most at risk.
“We have found lots of people out in communities who need help but were not able to access the hospital for one reason or another. We weigh them and measure their waist. We calculate their Body Mass Index. We take their blood pressure and blood sugar level. If we find they have high blood pressure or high blood sugar level or low blood sugar level, then we refer them to the doctor.”
Safotu District Hospital is one of a growing number in Samoa with a health team in place who serve as care coordinators for NCD patients and high-risk groups. This uniquely Samoan approach sees doctors, nurses, and nutritionists working closely with local village women’s groups to provide proactive health promotion and disease prevention services. In addition to regular village visits, Falu and her colleagues also conduct a school screening program.
“If we see a child who is at risk, then we encourage them to join a 10 week follow up program that aims to help them understand what they can do to be healthier. Parents can sometimes be challenging when we visit schools. At the beginning of the program, some are not supportive but generally within a few weeks they come to understand. We explain the purpose of the program, and what we are doing with the kids. When they know we are doing what is good for their children’s health we find they come into the program and ask for help and more information. Sometimes they also volunteer to help with the screening work.”
The World Bank, together with partners including the Australian Government and New Zealand Government, are supporting the expansion of the PEN Fa’a Samoa through the Samoa Health System Strengthening Program for Results (HSSP) with the goal of building a people-centred continuum of care to tackle NCDs.